This invention relates to female connectors used with electrical circuitry and more particularly in fusing and similar circuitry where the conductivity when utilizing male xe2x80x9cspadexe2x80x9d electrodes, is a significant factor.
The automotive industry has responded to the public""s demand for a variety of additional accessories by increasing battery and alternator outputs. However, the resulting volume of space required to hold the larger batteries, fuse blocks, and additional circuit wiring has created problems with respect to siting these components. The need to reduce component weight has also resulted in fuse block connectors and fuse size reductions which result in higher operating temperatures.
Circuit operating temperatures are often high enough that 15 amp fuses are substituted in 10 amp circuits to reduce fuse failure rates. Overheating and vibration causes metal fatigue to occur in the connectors which ultimately leads to looser fits between the electrodes resulting in higher resistance at the connections. This phenomenon is particularly apparent as the connectors and/or fuse electrodes age.
The connectors of this invention have two elements. The first is a female element designed to receive a spade electrode. The second element can be connected to cables, wires, circuit board traces and all other inputs or outputs. In the description of the invention, the second element can be in any one of the forms used in circuitry required to adapt the first element to a particular application.
The connectors of this invention overcome some of the problems facing industry by providing rolled male electrode receivers which apply more uniformly distributed pressure on spade-type electrodes. The male electrode receiver designs increase the contact area, in the preferred designs, by providing more surface contact to the spade electrodes. This additional contact area increases both the electrical and thermal conduction, reducing the heat produced at the junction between the electrodes and increasing the transfer of generated heat away from the junction.
The connector units have a power part and a male electrode receiver. The power part connects to one or more circuits and/or power sources, e.g., bars and/or wires, and can be small where it is to be connected to a circuit board. The male electrode receiver is preferably rolled, but can be folded, to provide uniform spring pressure on the opposed surfaces which receive a spade electrode. The combination can include one or more mechanisms for attachment to a support where required, e.g., for connection to a circuit board, a bus bar or in a module. No support may be needed where the connectors are part of a wiring bundle or where a single wire is involved.